I had an appointment to be helped with filling out the paperwork for the medicaid expansion coming up soon. After I got there, the person helping me told me that the application to apply had not yet even been created. However, she informed me that she thought, with my diagnosed mental problems (anxiety and depression) and migraines that I may be eligible for disability. She already had all of the paperwork necessary to apply with her and I had her to help me through it and answer questions, so I applied. It was a tremendous help having her help me with the paperwork. Now I have to fill out one form (it is required that *I* fill it out apparently) and to apply for social security online.

Now comes the parts that make me curl into the fetal position: having to talk to people, go to appointments where people are quite literally judging me and my life, take phone calls, get and respond to mail, possibly having to get an attorney, having to attend a hearing... I can feel my heart pounding and a migraine beginning as I type this. I know this will greatly help me if I get it, but going through this feels like hell.

No offense but I think it would be better for you to force yourself to get a job. I suffer from anxiety and depression as well but having a job has made me interact with people and has helped me with social anxiety. I used to never talk to people but after doing it so much I feel more confident.

It depends on the person and the severity of their disabilities. I agree exposure helps many people with social anxiety. However, some people aren't capable of working no matter how hard they try.

I admit I get disability, and I've done everything conceivable to be successful, but I can't work no matter how hard I try. In addition to mental illness, including SA, I have a herniated disk which makes it impossible to sit or stand for any length of time, multiple days in a row, and periodically I can do no more than lie flat on my back in bed.

I've tried several jobs since I've been on disability even though I didn't have to, but I was unable to succeed at any of them due to my disabilities. For example, I have a degree in Chemistry and Biology, but I couldn't even do a newspaper route. I also got a job as an industrial lab technician and I was in pain but I could do it, but the next day I couldn't stand up straight, and they told me they couldn't keep me on if I couldn't work two days in a row, and that was an extremely lucrative job.

I wouldn't have studied what I studied if my plan was to end up on disability.

When I was in school I built an anti-gravity chair so I could study the hours and hours necessary to succeed at University.

That said, I try to be as productive as I can with the challenges I deal with. I'm an artist and I'm able to be an artist because I stand on an anti-fatigue mat when I'm working and I don't work multiple days in a row. Moreover, I work alone. I don't have a boss; I'm my own boss-just like at University so I can do it mentally. I work as an artist even though every dollar I may earn is a dollar I don't get from disability for doing nothing.

In addition to the herniated disk and the mental disabilities (schizo-affective disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder and depression) I suffer from fatty liver disease. Despite all these issues, I've been tolld numerous times by numerous people to get a job, including one of my therapists. How am I supposed to just get a job when I can't even do a newspaper route?

If the past is any indication of the future, I expect I will be judged harshly for this post, but being on disability and having no other choice has taught me I can't live my life according to the good opinions of other people.

I didn't even know that you could get disability for anxiety but then I only been dealing with it for a month or so.

I do get disability but it is for turrets syndrome. I was able to control it in my 20's and 30's enough to work but it got out of control again in m 40's so I lost my job because of it. Then every time I would go for an interview as soon as the twitching started that was the end of the interview.